Air America Pilot Neil Hansen Drops Some Hard Rice on the CIA's Secret War in Laos
03/25/20 • 68 min
My guest Neil Graham Hansen began his aviation career as a pilot for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He then spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia as a captain for Air America - the CIA's airline that operated during the Vietnam era and the 'Secret War' in Laos. Upon returning to the States, unable to let go of the thrills of high stakes flying, his career trajectory veered off course into a Federal prison for smuggling narcotics - where he began his redemption as an advocate for his fallen Air America colleagues.
Neil talks with me about the history Air America (the world’s most shot-at airline) that could go anywhere anytime, especially where military wasn’t allowed. He talks about his relationship to the customer - the CIA, and he clarifies the daring, diverse, and patriotic culture of Air America pilots and crew. Look for him to explain terms like: sticky brick, blackpearl, hard rice, the customer, and five-dollar turns.
Neil has recently written a great book FLIGHT with co-writer Luann Grosscup – An Air America Pilots story of Adventure Descent and Redemption.
This historical aviation narrative incorporates the pathos of a war zone, humor, and candid insight. Neil pulls the reader directly into the cockpit, onto dirt mountaintop landing strips, into the raunchy brothels of Laos, alongside his first toddling steps into Buddhism, aboard the plane he flew out of Cambodia hours before it fell to the Khmer Rouge, down the road of self-destruction and beside him as he regains a foothold on the path to integrity.
Neil's tireless in telling the story of Air America’s heroes. His appearances are currently subject to confirmation, but look for his presentation at: AIRVENTURE in Oshkosh, WI
Other links and resources mentioned:
Air America Historical Social ClubFlight Facebook PageAir America, by Christopher RobbinsExperimental Aviation Association
Veteran’s Channel
Flying Men Flying Machines
Episode 032Hello Listener, If you've enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please consider signing up as a contributing patron and join the community for exclusive commentary, and content. A $10 a month donation will really keep us going ---> https://www.patreon.com/thelivedrop
Alternatively, if you would like to help make Season Three operational you could offer a one time donation of any amount right here ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop
Thank you for listening and your support,
Mark Valley
Creator/Host
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest Neil Graham Hansen began his aviation career as a pilot for Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa. He then spent more than a decade in Southeast Asia as a captain for Air America - the CIA's airline that operated during the Vietnam era and the 'Secret War' in Laos. Upon returning to the States, unable to let go of the thrills of high stakes flying, his career trajectory veered off course into a Federal prison for smuggling narcotics - where he began his redemption as an advocate for his fallen Air America colleagues.
Neil talks with me about the history Air America (the world’s most shot-at airline) that could go anywhere anytime, especially where military wasn’t allowed. He talks about his relationship to the customer - the CIA, and he clarifies the daring, diverse, and patriotic culture of Air America pilots and crew. Look for him to explain terms like: sticky brick, blackpearl, hard rice, the customer, and five-dollar turns.
Neil has recently written a great book FLIGHT with co-writer Luann Grosscup – An Air America Pilots story of Adventure Descent and Redemption.
This historical aviation narrative incorporates the pathos of a war zone, humor, and candid insight. Neil pulls the reader directly into the cockpit, onto dirt mountaintop landing strips, into the raunchy brothels of Laos, alongside his first toddling steps into Buddhism, aboard the plane he flew out of Cambodia hours before it fell to the Khmer Rouge, down the road of self-destruction and beside him as he regains a foothold on the path to integrity.
Neil's tireless in telling the story of Air America’s heroes. His appearances are currently subject to confirmation, but look for his presentation at: AIRVENTURE in Oshkosh, WI
Other links and resources mentioned:
Air America Historical Social ClubFlight Facebook PageAir America, by Christopher RobbinsExperimental Aviation Association
Veteran’s Channel
Flying Men Flying Machines
Episode 032Hello Listener, If you've enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please consider signing up as a contributing patron and join the community for exclusive commentary, and content. A $10 a month donation will really keep us going ---> https://www.patreon.com/thelivedrop
Alternatively, if you would like to help make Season Three operational you could offer a one time donation of any amount right here ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop
Thank you for listening and your support,
Mark Valley
Creator/Host
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ilya is an asset protection practitioner and sought after security specialist. After immigrating to the US from Moscow, he graduated and later taught at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. He spent his formative professional years at Prudential Financial HQ in Newark, NJ, under the tutelage of Paul DeMatteis. He then went on to Kroll Security for eleven years - starting in New York and then moving to Hong Kong. Ilya now consults and coaches under his own brand - Sphere State - and closely collaborates with a team of practitioners at Current Consulting, based in Hong Kong and mainland China. Ilya is helping clients protect people, information, reputation, and environments. He has worked for governments, corporations, and high net-worth individuals.
I wanted to talk to someone about corporate security and the spycraft and counter-espionage that goes into other than governmental operations – what I got was something I hadn’t expected - a nuanced discussion of the theory and application of security in our lives with terms like: digital pause, shoulder surfing, video analytics and my favorite fundamental aspiration. Ilya and I talked a bit about the psychology and history of security then veered into current events and ways to process the diluge of information available today. This was recorded in mid march of 2020 just as the world was becoming aware of the surge of Coronavirus cases. Two weeks later it already seems like the before-times, but this episode is a look into future challenges in the security industry.
Resources mentioned:
Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The Gift of Fear by Gavin deBecker
The Benefits of Traveling Grey, by Scott Stewart, Stratfor
Misfit, by Ilya Umanskiy in Medium
If you've enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please consider signing up as a contributing patron and join the community for exclusive commentary, and content.
A $5 a month donation will really keep us going - https://www.patreon.com/thelivedrop
Alternatively, if you would like to help make Season 3 operational you could make a one time donation of any amount right here ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop
Thank you for listening and your support,
Live Drop Team
Get bonus content on PatreonHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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